What the hell is happening to freedom of speech and expression in this country. Liberal Democrat MP is censured over his remarks about the appalling treatment of the Palestinians by Israel, I copy it here for you:-

” Mr Ward said he was “saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could within a few years of liberation from the death camps be inflicting atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel and continue to do so on a daily basis in the West Bank and Gaza”.

Now, what is unreasonable about that statement? There is another outcry regarding the cartoon by Gerald Scarfe in the Sunday Times which more forcefully expresses the same sentiment. Even Rupert Murdoch has been issuing grovelling apologies. Arguably it might have been insensitive to publish it on Holocaust Memorial Day although I would argue that there could hardly be a better time.

We are losing hard won freedoms and rights in this country on a regular basis and if we let freedom of speech slip through our fingers the future is not looking just bad, it is looking horrifying.

So, President Obama is to hold talks with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president in the vain expectation that some progress might be made. Hammas who were fairly elected and control Gaza are not even invited. What is most likely to happen is some vague statement will be released and nothing will change.

Admittedly a solution will be hard to achieve but actually the ‘problem’ is simple. The problem is that a huge area of land was taken from the Palestinians at the end of WW2 and given to the Jews by the powerful nations who won the war. Since then Israel, as it became, has stolen more land on a regular basis. Some of the best agricultural land taken and has built settlements for it’s expanding population. In addition it has made life as difficult as possible for the Palestinians.

Israel depends on the USA for it’s military might and vast financial handouts. Should the US withdraw, or threaten seriously to withdraw, it’s support of the Israeli state unless it got back behind the original agreed borders, then Israel would have little choice than to talk meaningfully and peace would have a chance to grow and flourish. To be elected in the US a candidate generally requires the support of the huge Jewish vote and therefore this is unlikely to happen. More land will be stolen, more lives will be blighted and lost, both Palestinians and Israelis. Unless a US President of immense courage and stature should be elected. Is this Obama? Maybe but I doubt it.

Israel is set on occupying even more Palestinian land in defiance of international law, the United Nations and President Barack Obama.

Israel, the big bully of the middle east, must think itself immune to international opinion and above any normal sense of justice. The only nation capable of exerting the necessary pressure on this outlaw state is the United States. Let’s hope that at the forth coming talks between Ehud Barak and George Mitchell this much needed pressure is applied in full measure. Unless Israel is brought to heel there can only be more suffering and death in this beleaguered part of our World.